Boston Asian American Film Festival

The bonds that shape our lives are quiet yet powerful, no matter whether they're between family, friends, lovers, or even strangers. Fleeting or enduring, tender or fraught, these connections reveal the comforts and tensions present in our relationships. Understanding, longing, love— These ingredients bring us together even in the most unexpected of situations.

Frustrated with his commitment-phobic boyfriend Chris and running out of time, Min makes a proposal: a green-card marriage with their friend Angela in exchange for her partner Lee’s expensive IVF. Elopement plans are upended, however, when Min’s grandmother surprises them with an extravagant Korean wedding banquet.

A band of street hustlers brave the dark corners of the Manila night time and into the outskirts of a forlorn country to fulfill their friend’s dying wish: to take his body home.

When two boys are kidnapped in a border town in Nepal, Detective Inspector Pooja is sent from Kathmandu to solve the case. But when she arrives, the brewing political unrest and violent protests throw her off course, and she is forced to seek help from Mamata, a local Madhesi policewoman. By putting aside systemic discrimination and pushing through everyday misogyny, the women solve the case - but at what personal cost?

This year, we want to embrace and celebrate the diverse journeys that Queer and Asian individuals embark on no matter where they are in life. From young adults discovering themselves to seniors reflecting on their past, each story in our shorts program offers a unique perspective on the current realities and future dreams Queer Asians have all around the world.

The youngest son in a traditional Pakistani family takes a job as a backup dancer in a Bollywood-style burlesque, and he quickly becomes infatuated with the strong-willed trans woman who runs the show.

We are pleased to be partnering with the ArtsEmerson Shared Stories screening series, a collaboration of BAAFF, BLIFF and RoxFilm, to bring Stéphanie Lamorré's documentary Being Thunder.

Sup? Into? I don't know about you but with all this social distance, we are craving for something a bit more intimate. Come over for a cuddle, we got that good thread count ;).

Not everything in life is funny....luckily this program is. From bisexual mothers coming out late in life, to dildos, to Weho sluts, to even a woman marrying herself...this program has it all. Curated by Katie Shannon.

José (19 years old) lives with his mother (50s) in Guatemala: a tough life in one of the world's most dangerous, religious, and impoverished countries. José is her youngest and favorite child, and her life is going to church and selling sandwiches. Jose spends his days on crowded buses and in the streets delivering food. Resigned and aloof, in free moments he plays with his phone and looks for random sex. When he meets Luis, Jose is thrust into a dimension of passion and pain and self-reflection that was previously unimaginable. Jose (2018) won "Queer Lion" award at 75th Venice Film Festival and was first ever film from Central America in Venice Film Festival.

When Jennifer Laude, a Filipina trans woman, is brutally murdered by a U.S. Marine, three women intimately invested in the case–an activist attorney (Virgie Suarez), a transgender journalist (Meredith Talusan) and Jennifer’s mother (Julita “Nanay” Laude)–galvanize a political uprising, pursuing justice and taking on hardened histories of US imperialism.

Recently single, Korean-born LA artist Sophia Lee devotes herself to her public performance art, whether it’s a provocative Korean perspective in the park on the LA Riots or quirky digital art on social media. To pay the bills, she does odd jobs for TaskRabbit. When a filmmaker reaches out to discuss an acting role in his film, she is excited to explore the opportunity, only to realize he can’t distinguish between her art and her real-life identity. Meanwhile, when a stranger makes Sophia late for a TaskRabbit gig, she loses her temper with her, only to run into her repeatedly and discover a strong connection. Sophia develops feelings for her, but it’s unclear if her love is reciprocated. Played by performance artist Vivian Bang (who also co-wrote the screenplay with director Daryl Wein), Sophia is a delightfully refreshing character to watch. Emotionally open, curious, and unapologetic, Sophia’s art is fueled by unfettered self-expression. Her insatiable thirst for meaning and experience would make anyone want to follow her down the rabbit hole in this quirky, deeply felt dramedy.